Mounties advance with 3-0 win

WHITEHALL – A month ago, Stroudsburg’s field hockey team suffered its worst defeat in years.

What a difference a few weeks make.

Four weeks after that 5-0 loss to Emmaus, the No. 2 seeded Mounties will get a second crack at the top-seeded Green Hornets. But can Stroudsburg turn around a five-goal deficit? Can the Mounties beat one of the top teams in the state with one of the top players in the country in Meredith Sholder?

“I think we have more than a shot, I really do,” Stroudsburg coach Jen Lobasso said. “I would say watch us. The team that was there a few weeks ago is not the team here now.”

Since that loss on Sept. 22, Stroudsburg has cruised past the competition. In the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference playoffs it’s been more of the same. Stroudsburg handed Parkland a 1-0 loss, allowing just one shot on goal.

On Tuesday night it was another convincing victory for the Mounties, a 3-0 win over Liberty in which Stroudsburg allowed the Hurricanes just one shot on goal, that coming with five minutes to play.

Stroudsburg will play Emmaus on Thursday at a site and time to be determined on Wednesday.

The Mounties (19-1) scored twice in the first 10 minutes of the game as senior Julianna Sweeney and her sister Josie Sweeney put the game out of reach. Junior Serena Shuler scored Stroudsburg’s third goal of the game midway through the second half.

The two quick goals at the start of the game put Stroudsburg in control.

“It really gave us the momentum in the game,” said Lizzy Cunningham, a senior, who assisted on the first goal of the game. “Liberty didn’t have a lot of shots on goal and weren’t feeling great throughout the game. We had all the momentum.”

By the time Josie Sweeney’s goal found the back of the net, Stroudsburg was en route to another conference final berth. And like the last two seasons, the Mounties will face Emmaus in a rematch.

“We’re ready for them,” said Sydney Cramer, who is headed to Providence College in the fall. “We’re so ready.”

They looked ready against Liberty, whose physical style of play didn’t match up well with Stroudsburg’s speed. Stroudsburg outshot the Hurricanes 16-1 and held a 15-1 advantage in corners.

Stroudsburg hadn’t played Liberty during the regular season this year, but the teams did get a look at one another during a play day at Moravian.

“We knew they were a strong team and had a few commits and some strong girls,” Cramer said. “We knew what we had to do to get the win.”

Lobasso said with a 2-goal lead early she was able to experiment with some game plan ideas, but there was “nothing I’m willing to share,” Lobasso said with a laugh. We'll find out what they are on Thursday.